Bangkok protests: Police box set ablaze as rubber bullets, tear gas and water cannon deployed

[Mr Meeseeks]

24 minutes ago, JayClay said:

That's a very optimistic view of a potential outcome.

 

I'd suggest it's far more likely a coup will put an end to protests and you can be sure the next PM installed will take whatever steps required to make sure he never looses power.

 

I hope I'm wrong.

I think this is now very much a big worry.

 

There's no safeguard any more as there was in 1991/2 when Suchinda took over.

 

Set in motion in 2005 and gradually getting incrementally worse with each step backwards as they see the only way is absolute authoritarian control. 

 

Predictable, but the Thaksin obsessives couldn't see the wood for the trees.

[robblok]

1 hour ago, mark131v said:

No split personality from me I believe you and likeminded folk have stood by and by your support made this happen, many may get a criminal record from this and I reckon they will wear it like a medal

 

I don't have an issue with people getting a criminal record but the flip flop of it's a crime, no it's not a crime is a symptom of this lot...

Did not explain it one bit why you are so laws should be enforced in one topic even if bad laws and now your supporting breaking the law here. Your anwser did not clear a thing up. 

 

Right my support made this happen. I think you give too much credit to us foreigners. We have absolutely no power my support did not make one bit of difference. Thais on the other hand they can vote and change things. As a foreigner we can just comment. 

[Mr Meeseeks]

42 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

What is the point of those protesters? What is the point of fighting with the police and starting fires?

There is no point except creating chaos and bad news. Now we can all guess which criminal fugitive wants that.

What was the point of the protests (all paid and organised by Thailand most corrupt politician Suthep) to oust an elected government?

 

It was to cause instability and the pretext for another coup. 

 

What was the point of the coup?

 

We can't really discuss it properly here, but I can tell you it wasn't against corruption, rice schemes or any other allegations against the Yingluck Govt.

 

If you believed that it was, you are sadly out of your depth when discussing Thai politics.

[spidermike007]

1 hour ago, robblok said:

So pulled out of thin air. Do you really think that its now 2% i highly doubt it. I don't doubt at all that they will lose an election but would not be surprised if they still got 20-30% of votes. 

After some consideration, I think I was being generous. Likely 1.5%. Figure the 2,200 generals. The 1000 or so cabinet members and allied politicians. 10% of government workers. And 5% of military officers. 

 

Likely only a few thousand civilians. Even the old guard who hung on until covid, now see the extreme failures. 

 

If a free and fair election were held tomorrow, the army would be humiliated to no end. Go, Prayuth go. Go now. You are despised, like never before. 

[robblok]

16 minutes ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

What was the point of the protests (all paid and organised by Thailand most corrupt politician Suthep) to oust an elected government?

 

It was to cause instability and the pretext for another coup. 

 

What was the point of the coup?

 

We can't really discuss it properly here, but I can tell you it wasn't against corruption, rice schemes or any other allegations against the Yingluck Govt.

 

If you believed that it was, you are sadly out of your depth when discussing Thai politics.

Lying again my friends middle class were not paid went after work to protests and during the day worked their normal jobs. So not everyone was paid just like the reds were not all paid. They actually were there before Suthep ever came up. He only came later.

 

But on both sides there were paid for protesters. 

 

You keep defending one side while attacking an other I see you integrated well in Thai politics. Never admit the faults of your own side and keep attacking the other. Right out of the playbook of both YL Thaksin and Prayut. 

[thaibeachlovers]

1 hour ago, mark131v said:

You really are quite pathetic, you somebody with all the benefit of a western education condoning a puppet government that has clearly outstayed it's welcome and left the populace with no other choice, shocking really...

I can only assume you haven't lived in Thailand very long if you consider the government has outstayed it's welcome, or is worse than previous governments. It's certainly not the worst government in my experience. In fact it made very few problems for me personally. I don't know why any farang should be angry about it at all. It's not like they are harassing farangs any more than any previous government.

[thaibeachlovers]

30 minutes ago, robblok said:

We have absolutely no power

100% correct. IMO every farang on here should remember that they have ZERO influence on the government.

By all means vent away, but IMO don't fool yourself that it will make an iota of difference.

[Sudarut]

8 minutes ago, robblok said:

Lying again my friends middle class were not paid went after work to protests and during the day worked their normal jobs. So not everyone was paid just like the reds were not all paid. They actually were there before Suthep ever came up. He only came later.

 

But on both sides there were paid for protesters. 

 

You keep defending one side while attacking an other I see you integrated well in Thai politics. Never admit the faults of your own side and keep attacking the other. Right out of the playbook of both YL Thaksin and Prayut. 

The old "vote the scoundrels out at the next election" trick.  The left-right paradigm reigns supreme. 

[thaibeachlovers]

34 minutes ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

Predictable, but the Thaksin obsessives couldn't see the wood for the trees.

I would change that to "the Thaksin supporters couldn't see the wood for the trees."

[robblok]

1 minute ago, Sudarut said:

The old "vote the scoundrels out at the next election" trick.  The left-right paradigm reigns supreme. 

To vote someone out and to progress democracy and so on there need to be non corrupt good alternatives. I havent really seen them besides future forward and we all know what happened to them. Voting without good alternatives is just voting an other pair of corrupt officials in who will rape the country for their own benefit.

 

The junta and Thaksin crew are just all in it for themselves. I mean just look at how easily  MP's from the PTP jumped to the opposition so they could make money.

 

Anyone who can't see that both sides are corrupt entities is just deluding themselves. Right now I don't really care who is in power. I mean what is happening now will happen again. The lying the cheating the denying. No matter who is in power. Its an ever ongoing puppet show of people who only want the power to enrich themselves.

[malibukid]

4 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

The people are angry, and they have every right on the world to be so. They are angry at the army, and they are angry at the puppet, super corrupt cops. They also have every right in the world to express that anger, despite an oppressive regime making criticism of themselves, and their massive failures illegal. Are they using Kim, or Xi's playbook? 

 

Kudos to the people. This will only continue, until the heinous army relinquishes their power, and follows the will of the people. Their support base in down to the last 2% of the population, at this point. They have failed their people on every conceivable level. They must go. Get out. Get out now Prayuth. You are toxic. 

Thailand is controlled by a tripartite.  don't see this happening.  Thai people lack the resolve.

[BangkokReady]

3 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Good that they are not called activists for democracy or something like that anymore.

 

People who really want to improve Thailand should know that fighting with the police is a stupid and useless idea.

I hope every arsonist will be arrested and jailed for years. And they obviously they should pay for the damage which they did.

Unfortunately, the current anti-government movement is heading the way of the far left in the US.  Cause a riot, deny all wrong-doing, and then complain when the police do something about it.

[hotchilli]

5 hours ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

One of the most important news articles in Thailand at the moment and it is relegated to a regional forum? Should be in the news forum, no?

 

It was on all local TV channels last night, with extensive coverage. 

With flights from Phuket to Bangkok for the sandbox interns.

[Burma Bill]

5 hours ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

It was on all local TV channels last night, with extensive coverage

And in the latest International media:-

 

"Thai police say use of force necessary as protesters plan new rally"

 

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/international

[OneMoreFarang]

2 hours ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

We can't really discuss it properly here, but I can tell you it wasn't against corruption, rice schemes or any other allegations against the Yingluck Govt.

 

If you believed that it was, you are sadly out of your depth when discussing Thai politics.

I am always glad that we have experts in this forum who know things a lot better than others. But unfortunately they are not able to share their knowledge. That obviously brings up the question how they know. How do they know something that can't be discussed? Some insider knowledge? Maybe the freemasons or the illuminati? 

 

And last but not least if anybody does not have their alleged expert knowledge then the others are obviously sadly out of their depth. Yeah, sure, should we call you Yoda?

[OneMoreFarang]

49 minutes ago, BangkokReady said:

Unfortunately, the current anti-government movement is heading the way of the far left in the US.  Cause a riot, deny all wrong-doing, and then complain when the police do something about it.

And I thought that is what the far right does in the USA.

[rwill]

Sadly those rubber bullets might be replaced with real bullets if this keeps escalating.

[OneMoreFarang]

3 hours ago, Ralf001 said:

What are they protesting over ?

Do they really care? Their paymaster will have a reason.

[OneMoreFarang]

12 minutes ago, rwill said:

Sadly those rubber bullets might be replaced with real bullets if this keeps escalating.

Then maybe the protesters should think if they want to escalate the situation. No escalation, no problems. 

[robblok]

20 minutes ago, rwill said:

Sadly those rubber bullets might be replaced with real bullets if this keeps escalating.

Non violence works best if the other side outguns you Gandhi proved that. Its not smart to use violence against the police in Thailand. I get the frustration of the proteters but for their sake they should reign in the ones that are violent.  

[BestB]

Protesters are getting more violent. With latest footage of Penguin being assaulted by police, i expect for protesters to get more violent and would not be surprised if they start to arm themselves.

 

Big difference between all past and present, current pips are not paid to attend and more and more are joining and government is not helping the situation either.

 

Also these guys are young, tech savvy and know how to use social media

 

Prayut may think he is untouchable but do not forget soldiers have families who loosing jobs, starving and loosing homes. All it takes is a young officer and things can escalate very fast

[internationalism]

life thai-english broadcast from thai journalist Pravit from khaosod english

https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?v=4481965391862620&ref=watch_permalink

 

[Bangkok Barry]

5 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Any protest is better than no protest, at this point. The govt. deserves all the flak, criticism, complaints, non-cooperation, and resistance we can muster up. 

Don't say we. Unless you are Thai. We just have to sit and watch.

[Bangkok Barry]

1 hour ago, BestB said:

Big difference between all past and present, current pips are not paid to attend

Utter nonsense. Many from my village in Red Shirt country banded together and hired a bus to take them to Bangkok to protest during the 2010. protests. They didn't need to be paid to do so. They did it because they wanted to get rid of the government. Not much changes here. Just another Groundhog Day.

[Scott Tracy]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

A police box was set ablaze last night after a day of protests on the streets of Bangkok turned violent yesterday evening in the Din Daeng area of the Thai capital.

No one specified how the police box caught fire. Even the news article is wrong to assert that it was set ablaze, as that implies a deliberate act.

Until otherwise determined, it caught fire.

 

'Rubber bullets, tear gas and water cannon were deployed by police.' 

Does that mean they were used, or just positioned available for use?

[it is what it is]

2 minutes ago, Bangkok Barry said:

Utter nonsense. Many from my village in Red Shirt country banded together and hired a bus to take them to Bangkok to protest during the 2010. protests. They didn't need to be paid to do so. They did it because they wanted to get rid of the government. Not much changes here. Just another Groundhog Day.

 

if the lot form your village weren't getting paid it was their choice and they missed out. i live in banglampu and walked past the ratchademnueng avenue protesters every day, i can confirm 100% there was always a long line waiting for their daily cash handout.

[spidermike007]

29 minutes ago, Bangkok Barry said:

Don't say we. Unless you are Thai. We just have to sit and watch.

Nope. I given them a hard time every chance I get. Whether it is an obnoxious immigration agent, or a cop on the take, I thrive on giving them a hard time and pushing back as hard as I can.

 

Usually it works. They back way, way off. I don't think they are used to be mouthed off to. 

[Bangkok Barry]

2 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

Nope. I given them a hard time every chance I get. Whether it is an obnoxious immigration agent, or a cop on the take, I thrive on giving them a hard time and pushing back as hard as I can.

 

Usually it works. They back way, way off. I don't think they are used to be mouthed off to. 

Until you find one who pushes back. And they can push back harder than you would be able to deal with. Remember where you are.

[Bangkok Barry]

24 minutes ago, it is what it is said:

 

if the lot form your village weren't getting paid it was their choice and they missed out. i live in banglampu and walked past the ratchademnueng avenue protesters every day, i can confirm 100% there was always a long line waiting for their daily cash handout.

So if they don't get paid they wouldn't protest against the government? And if they would, who is paying them unnecessarily? If they will only protest if paid then they deserve all they get. People from my village cared enough to pay to protest, not get paid

[champers]

6 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Any protest is better than no protest, at this point. The govt. deserves all the flak, criticism, complaints, non-cooperation, and resistance we can muster up. 

I wouldn't be doing any mustering up if I were you. Stick to watching it on the telly.

Let's all hope for restraint on all sides where violent force is concerned. Tanks and guns v ping-pong bombs and molotov cocktails: Tanks and guns would have a very bloody  and deadly win.